Give a Good Restaurant Review to your Friends



Posted: Thursday, January 20, 2011

by J Gaughran

Ever wonder what to look for in a restaurant? Here’s a simple guide on how to evaluate your experience.

Humans are creatures of habit. We have very personal ideas of what we love and hate and this is no different to eating out. When asked about a particular eatery, we are most likely to comment on our personal opinion of our own meal rather than the entire dining experience. So if your steak was cooked in an unusual way that you didn’t like but everybody else was satisfied, you will probably give it a negative review. Word of mouth is crucial for a restaurant’s reputation and many fabulous establishments can be left relatively untouched because of one bad review so if you want to better the art of your restaurant conversation, read on...

THE ATMOSPHERE - This is the first thing you will focus on. From the moment you see the restaurant across the street to walking inside and taking your seat, how does the space make you feel? Is it empty or busy? It can be anything from the music, the decor, to the mood of the other diners. Now think of the kind of place this is and what people expect. If it’s a fine dining establishment, check out the music levels, are the ingredients locally sourced and is it an overall ‘special’ experience? Look for special touches like valet parking. If it’s a low budget affair, was there any thought put into the menu or the decor? A menu and location can still look great on a tight budget, this shows care and attention.

A FOCUSED THEME – Unless it is a fusion cuisine, a restaurant should focus on one theme and this should apply to the food and the decor. Instead of having many cuisines on the menu, it should be a variety of options from one cuisine satisfying the various possible dietary requirements. Same applies to decor and everything else. For example, a Spanish restaurant should not have Italian food on the menu, play French music or have American-influenced decor. This is a sure sign of a restaurant lacking confidence.

SEASONAL MENU WITH DAILY SPECIALS - A daily changing menu shows that the restaurant takes their dishes and the sourcing of their ingredients seriously. A true daily special means that it is unique to that day and season. If the “daily specials” board or menu in the window looks worn and faded that’s probably a bad sign. A short menu is better. Nothing on that menu should be below standard. In contrast all too many restaurants have huge menus and while they might have a dish they do well, they have many dishes that are rarely ordered thus using poor quality or frozen ingredients.

SERVICE – Eating out is a special experience whatever kind of restaurant you are visiting. You are paying not only for the meal but for the location and the general experience. The waiting staff should be friendly, honest and knowledgeable. This means that their attitude should always be to put you, the customer, first. While they should know everything about their dishes, they should be honest if they lack information or give their personal opinion on something. As a customer, be mindful that mistakes will occur you should instead focus on how the employees deal with it.

If you are looking for more information, here is a great place where you can get Restaurant Reviews in Dublin.

J Gaughran is a Marketing Author working at http://www.therestaurantreview.info/

Copyright (c) 2011 Jess Gaughran
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